Wallaby legend George Gregan not surprised by Jarryd Hayne’s poor sevens debut

GEORGE Gregan has delivered a brutal assessment of Jarryd Hayne’s first foray into sevens, after the code-hopper admitted he found the going tough in London.

GEORGE Gregan has delivered a brutal assessment of Jarryd Hayne’s first foray into sevens, after the ex-NRL and NFL player admitted he found the going tough in London.

The former Parramatta Eels star was afforded little game time in the last event before the Olympics, playing just 17 minutes in Fiji’s six matches – all off the bench – and struggled to adapt to the speed and physical demands.

It was telling that coach Ben Ryan, whose side secured back-to-back sevens titles on Saturday by making it through to the quarter-finals, did not call for Hayne in the semi-final, which Fiji lost 26-21 to South Africa.

Looks like my Bula brother is still coming to grips with the running load of sevens lol @JarrydHayne pic.twitter.com/9CZPTqupRz

— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) May 22, 2016

“You just saw how difficult it was for Jarryd out there,” Wallabies legend Gregan told The Daily Telegraph at Twickenham. “You just can’t come in at short notice and pick up the game easily like that, as wonderful an athlete he is.

“He has probably been working hard on a power-based sport, which NFL is. And in sevens there are so many different elements; It’s a high-speed, powerful game but there is so much VO2 required for repeat efforts, which in NFL is not the case.

“In a previous life – when he was playing rugby league – Jarryd had that repeat speed. There were glimpses of what he can do; his footwork means that he has the ability to beat people one on one. But you have to work so hard in sevens, turn around and get back in the line. It didn’t surprise me at all that he found it so difficult this weekend.”

Gregan also cast doubt on whether Hayne would have enough time to convince Ryan he should be selected in the 12-man group for Rio, with the tournament starting in just over two months.

“I think it is unlikely he will make the Fiji Olympic squad, but Ben Ryan said that he has six weeks to prove himself,” Gregan said. “One thing is for certain: Jarryd likes a challenge.”

In a bid to improve his sevens fitness – which most experts say takes many months rather than weeks – Hayne will work on his conditioning in the next fortnight, before a long-list squad of 24 will meet for an intensive six-week training camp in Fiji. Ryan will cut his numbers by half in week four of the program, and that dozen will enter Rio as strong favourites for gold, which would be the first Olympic medal in the country’s history.

“This is the best side in the world in the last two years – our cupboard is not just deep, it’s absolutely littered with fantastic talent,” warned Ryan. “A Fijian side that plays a very high-tempo, high-risk game that requires enormous amounts of skill and fitness.

“When running up 100-metre sand dunes, when these guys – the fittest rugby players Fiji has ever had – are still throwing up after sessions, Jarryd’s lactate will be going into overdrive. Whether he’ll be able to tolerate that in a short time frame is a serious question.”

Hayne is realistic about his chances.

“It’s not about coming over and making the team, it’s about giving me an opportunity to make a team,’’ Hayne said.

“Sometimes in life, it’s not about success, but it’s about the experience and just being part of that team. The Fiji players are a bunch of superstars who are going to be a joy to train and play with. At the moment, I’m behind the eight ball, and I’ve got no problem with that.”

Originally published as Wallaby legend George Gregan not surprised by Jarryd Hayne’s poor sevens debut